Too Convincing
by P.o.T.t.Y.F.a.N.x
Summary: "I can't be around you anymore Rose. It hurts too much." She looked up at him, eyes full of confusion, and some unwilling emotion that was forcing its way out. RW/SM Three-shot-happy ending I promise!
1. Too Convincing

**I don't know if theres something in the air, but I keep writing new stories! For now, this is a one-shot, but I am considering a sequel, because, I'm sure you'll realise once you've read this, it doesn't actually end properlly. (Well properlly in my books anyway!)**

**So yeah, once again waaay different to my normal stories! So please, don't hate me! Also: Un-betaed! Maybe I should get one? Sorry if I have bad grammar!**

**Enjoy! I hope and PLEASE review :) **

**X Potty **

* * *

"I can't be around you anymore Rose. It hurts too much."

She looked up at him, eyes full of confusion, and some unwilling emotion that was forcing its way out.

His eyes were empty and avoiding hers. He shifted his foot over loose pieces of gravel on the path, before swallowing loudly.

"I hope you understand." He said emotionlessly.

She frowned.

Because that was what he'd become empty, abandoned, _lost_.

She opened her mouth to protest, to say something.

Rose Weasley always had the last say, always. But there was a lump in her throat as his eyes finally met hers.

Their spark gone.

Had she done this? Why hadn't she seen it sooner?

She glanced down at her wrist, merely out of habit. The delicate bracelet that usually comforted her, that guaranteed warmth, friendship and . . . _love_, seemed out of place on her wrist.

It didn't match her anymore, did it?

Could you outgrow love?

She stared at it angrily and had the childish urge to rip it off and throw it at his face.

With a shaking hand she attempted to undo the clasp, feeling his eyes watching her.

She took a heavy breath as she finally undid it, holding it at arms length towards him looking up at the part of the building above them, jutting out that was there shelter.

"Rose you don't have to give me this-"

"What? So you can just go forget about me, but I can't about y-you?"

She had been so unfalteringly convincing until the last word of her sentence. Her hand had twitched slightly on the grip of the bracelet, and her voice suddenly trembled.

"I don't want it either."

Her heart stopped.

In that moment, in a desperate attempt to rid herself of this feeling she was unfamiliar to she flung it as far as she could away from them, onto the middle of the flooding road.

Her lip twitching up - satisfied as it was carried away in the rain, down the drain.

Gone forever.

She chanced a glance at him to see he was shaking his head.

"This is why I have to go. When people in our lives hurt us we have to get away. Move on." He recited.

So that hurt him.

Her fingers twitched and she fell silent.

Was she even breathing?

She felt empty, she looked down once again ignoring the stab of regret she felt for the bracelet. The bracelet. _Her_ bracelet.

She heard movement, and looked up at once to see him glancing out into the rain that was steadily getting heavier.

He was leaving for real. He meant it.

He stepped down off the curb, turning slightly to face her, his face blank as ever.

Before turning back to cross the road.

He had nothing else to say on the subject?

"Who taught you that? You're shrink?" She called after him, finally processing what he had said previously about getting away from people, her hands now balled into fists at her sides.

"No Rose!" He swivelled around in the middle of the street, as she neared the edge of the footpath – still under shelter.

She saw now how lifeless he had become as he stood out in the open, his face appeared grey and she watched as raindrop after raindrop caused his hair to turn darker and stick to his face.

Was this how it always was? Him – out in the cold, the rain, energy and life slipping away?

And her, standing under protection, comforted, blissfully unaware, and hopelessly self-absorbed.

It was hopeless.

"You taught me that."

She wouldn't have believed he had said it, something so . . . hurtful.

But she had seen his lips move.

He walked backwards a few paces, holding her gaze, before turning back around and leaving her alone.

She took a deep breath.

How was the rain leaking onto her? She certainly felt a few drops of it hit her face.

She wiped the rain off her cheeks and standing up straight she was ready to round the corner.

To go back into the pub, to forget everything that had just happened.

Because it was routine.

Nothing ever affected her; perhaps usual emotions never occurred to her, which made it easy for her to hurt others around her unwillingly.

Though _sometimes_, she would admit, she new precisely what she was doing.

There would always be an exception to the rule. Someone she shared all with, someone that made her laugh.

Her friend, her best friend.

And maybe, he thought he had broken through the walls she built up around herself?

He knew her best didn't he?

She stumbled slightly, losing her footing and slipping off the path and onto the unsheltered, blustery and stormy road.

The rain almost obscuring her vision, she squinted in the direction he had gone.

It wasn't too late. She presumed.

Acting on a sudden impulse, she ran in that direction, calling his name.

"Scorpius?" She called, sounding unsure and muffled. She cleared her curiously groggy throat and called again.

"Scorpius?"

She smiled slightly as her confident tone returned.

"SCORPIUS?" She yelled, louder again.

Ignoring the old lady in the red umbrella she continued, her chest feeling somewhat lighter.

"SCORP?"

They hadn't used nicknames in _months_. She suddenly had recalled that fact.

Why?

Why hadn't they?

She touched her left wrist absentmindedly, before her eyes fluttered shut.

He wasn't answering.

"SCORPIUS MALFOY!"

He had gone.

"SCOR-SC-SC-"

But she had already known that.

"Scorpius?" She whispered, looking around the empty buildings. The empty streets.

Chest heaving she headed back to the pub, each footstep heavier and heavier. But she forced herself along. One step at a time.

Pushing the door open she nodded politely at someone vaguely familiar, before her eyes locked on to her cousin, making her way towards him.

"Who was it?"

Asked her cousin in a playful manner, shoving her lightly as she joined him at the bar, sitting on the high stool.

"Who was who?" She asked weakly.

"The guy who made you cry of course!" He said good heartedly and grinning.

Her eyes opened wider momentarily, but she soon recovered.

"Don't be so ridiculous Al. I _never_ cry. Just been out in the rain, that's all."

And then she got it. She swung her legs around properly and crossed them over. She shut her eyes, they stung slightly.

The rain had just got in them, see.

Maybe she understood. . .

Why it had been so easy to hurt him this whole time.

Because then it wasn't her, she wasn't the one at risk.

And she couldn't risk losing their friendship. Changing it into something new.

Did that make her a coward? No.

Selfish? Yes.

How many times had it been a joke to them?

They were always going to end up together.

No man and woman could be _that_ good friends for so long and not have any fireworks.

She opened her eyes and nodded at the barman and grabbed her drink, nodding more as she heard her cousin waffle on about something that happened at the Ministry, feeling warm as the drink flowed through her.

Her eyes fluttered once again.

But that would've been predictable, wouldn't it?

Predictable, vulnerable, _emotional_.

That was it, precisely it.

Emotions got in the way.

And there wouldn't always be a convenient rain shower, would there?

No.

That's why there would be no next time.

She decided, shaking down her left sleeve to cover her wrist.

"Have you been listening Rosie?" asked Albus sounding annoyed, and perhaps a little hurt she picked up.

"Yes." She said smiling brightly, "so what happened next?"

She was too convincing.

* * *

**Sooo that was it, like I say, sequel that is perhaps happy? Haha. Let me know if I should, alright? And THAT means a review!**

**If you were wondering, Scorpius inspiration =**

_I don't know what I should do now_  
_I don't know where I should go_  
_I'm still here waiting for you_  
_I'm lost when you're not around_  
_I need to hold on to you_  
_I just can't let you go_  
_Yeah, yeah_

_In a perfect world_  
_This could never happen_  
_In a perfect world_  
_You'd still be here_  
_And it makes no sense _  
_I could just pick up the pieces_  
_But to you this means nothing,_  
_Nothing at all_

_You feel nothing,_  
_Nothing at all_  
_Nothing at all_

_(Simple Plan- Perfect World)_

**And then Rose =**

_Well after all the blood that you still owe_  
_Another dollar's just another blow_  
_So fix your eyes and get up_  
_Better get up while you can, whoa whoa_

_When you go would you even turn to say_  
_"I don't love you like I did yesterday"?_  
_Well come on, come on!_

_When you go would you have the guts to say_  
_"I don't love you like I loved you yesterday"?_

_I don't love you like I loved you yesterday_  
_I don't love you like I loved you yesterday_

_(My Chemical Romance - I don't love you)_

**I know that doesn't really go with the Rose I portrayed, but its what I listened to, and in my head she was the one saying 'I don't love you like I did yesterday'**

**Anyway! Hope you review :)**

**xoxo Potty**


	2. Too Trusting

**Hihi (: Thanks to my two lovely reviewers! I know this is really depressing! But I promise, there will be a happy ending (I just can't help it you see!) **

iceiceice: OMG! I am so glad you reviewed this! I wish you had an account so I could send you a PM, but since you don't here it is:

Kay, so I actually really liked your idea about how I could have done 'you think you've got it bad', but now that I've done it that way I want to see it through, but thank-you for your view. And, I only deleted your comment because you said I could! Also, so people don't think my stories lame in comparison to your idea (: -admits with shame- .

Admittedly I was a bit . . . miffed about that review, but when I got that LOVELY review for 'A love/hate relationship', I was feeling so happy. It was actually such an amazing review. So, my dear, this Chapter is dedicated to you! Thank-you so much, oh and no, its (Love/Hate . . ) Not finished. Yet, I'm just having a bit of a block! I think that's all I have to say – I hope my other stories did make you feel better after the depressingness of this one – it WILL BE HAPPY! X

Amy is rockin: Thanks for reviewing (: I'm not sure why I made it quite so depressing, but there is a silver lining in this three-shot, okay? So hold on! Thanks again (:

**For iceiceice! You have made me smile heaps! Thank-you. **

* * *

He opened his eyes slowly, squinting at the small amount of light pouring in through the curtain.

Truthfully, he knew what he had done was pointless.

To try and get away from her, to not even accept the bracelet back, to ignore her existence.

All weak attempts to rid himself of anything that reminded him of her.

Which was stupid, really, because everything reminded him of her.

Everything in his life.

At one point he wouldn't have been ashamed to admit she was his life.

But not now. He was forgetting, right?

He cringed as he felt himself recall memories he thought he had suppressed.

He couldn't ever forget them though, could he?

He closed his eyes, willing himself to stop before it was too late. . .

It was.

_She looked at him, smiling ear to ear, confirming his worst fear. They were only fourteen, but he already knew he loved her too much._

There were times that year, that she looked at him differently. And he swore he saw what was in his own eyes when he looked at her.

He was sure they shared secret moments amongst their group of friends.

He knew it, he saw it he felt it.

_One time, their gang was at Hogsmeade, mucking around as usual. _

_Albus nodded at him, grinning evilly._

"_NOW!" He bellowed at Scorpius._

_He scooped up a snowball, and aimed it straight at Rose, who was in the middle of a conversation with Sophie. It hit her on the side of her head, with a dull thud._

_She turned almost in slow-motion._

"_Oh no you didn't!" She called, as Sophie rolled her eyes. _

_He made a run for it, up the hill near the shrieking shack, he knew she was right on his tail. _

_In a moments decision he spun back around, tackling her to the ground._

_She squealed in surprise. He held her shoulder down with one hand, whilst scooping up more snow – holding it over her grinning._

_He had the upper hand._

He remembered her face, pale, but in a pretty way. A slight pink tinge because of the cold.

But her eyes where the one thing he always saw. They were wide in fear.

_He raised his eyebrows menacingly. _

"_You don't wanna do this Scor." She said, surprisingly threateningly._

"_Don't I?" He asked, as she struggled to get up._

_And failed. _

"_Is there anything I can say to change your mind?" She asked, sounding slightly concerned._

_Only slightly, but that was a surrender coming from her._

"_I don't know, is there?"_

_He didn't want to throw the snowball at her, really. He much preferred to stay in his position._

"_How about, will you go out with me?" She asked, meeting his eyes and grinning._

_He cleared his throat, shaking his head groggily. _

"_What?" _

_She was joking, he could tell. But that didn't stop his heart beat from accelerating._

"_Wrong answer Malfoy!"_

_She said taking the opportunity to push him off and stand up. _

_He sat their smiling._

"_What's the right one then?"_

_She shrugged and walked away._

He still remembered the feeling of elated happiness that there was a possibility, no matter how slim it was, a possibility.

That maybe, just maybe they could be more than friends.

She had thought about it obviously.

_He paced the common room that night. Mind made up about what he was going to do. _

_He scrawled a note on one of the Weasley's magic pieces of parchment._

"_Rose – what you said at Hogsmeade, about dating. Where you being serious?"_

_He tapped the parchment twice and watched as his messy writing disappeared to be replaced by neatly printed cursive._

"_Scor – what do you mean? It was a joke. That would be awkward!"_

_He sighed. She could be just saying that, right?_

"_What if I didn't think it would be awkward?"_

_He breathed in heavily and tapped his wand twice. _

It had been a bold move, in his view.

_He suddenly felt excited at the prospect of her words, what would she say?_

"_Scor – listen. I could never go there. Too awkward, like I said."_

_He crumpled up the bit of paper._

_That was the only reason she wasn't giving it a shot?_

They didn't speak for a week after that, until he cornered her, convincing her to forget about what he said.

She did. He noted to never do that again.

But that didn't stop his feelings.

Years went by, and he was still convinced she felt something. She did.

But he ignored it.

Until Seventh Year.

_One time, at a Gryffindor party, it didn't matter that they were drunk, he could still think straight, couldn't he?_

_He knew whose waist his arm was around; he knew who he was shamelessly flirting with._

_Was it the alcohol that had removed said 'awkwardness'? Whatever it was he was thankful._

_In a moment, a heart beat, they were dancing and it changed._

_He saw it in her eyes. _

_And . . . acted upon it._

_Leaning in slowly and carefully he watched as she leant forward to meet him as well._

_When their lips met. It was magic. He knew it._

_This was right._

_This was who he was supposed to be with._

_Fireworks, butterflies or whatever he was feeling it was amazing._

_He was flying, and so was she._

_It did end though, but that was fine. _

_She wasn't looking angry, awkward or upset even._

_She was smiling and so was he._

And that was when he truly thought they were going to work.

Until the next day, when he watched, early in the morning as the neat printed cursive wrote him a message.

"_I can't do this anymore – please don't hate me. I don't want to lose our friendship, and that could cause us to. Plus, its too awkward Scor, you've gotta admit it is-"_

He didn't read the rest of the message.

She started dating Michael McLaggen the next day.

That hurt too much for him to think about it.

He didn't understand, but never questioned it.

He remained her friend however, since that was what she had been afraid of right? Losing him?

He was comfortably numb for the next few years. Rose dated, he dated.

She asked him for everything, and gave him nothing.

He knew she didn't realise it, but she was slowly killing him.

_One time, she had turned up at his house, asking for advice._

_How could she make herself more attractive? _

_Did he think this dress was too short?_

_Was she pretty? Why was she single then?_

He had struggled to answer these.

But it was worse when she had shared details about her relationship with Josh Thomas.

That was girl talk, he knew it. And should've refused to hear it.

But he didn't.

Because as soon as he was in her presence, he felt alive.

But he knew he would keep falling back into the same trap.

She must have some kind of feelings, he thought.

_Then, after his Fathers funeral, she had been there at the Malfoy Manor._

_Holding his hand. _

_They were all alone._

_She squeezed his hand and pulled him into an impromptu hug. He held on tight. He didn't want to let go._

He couldn't let go of her physically, but he knew it was deeper than that.

_But then she shocked him, but turning it into more than a friendly hug._

_Kissing his neck softly and delicately._

_He shivered in shock and she pulled back._

"_Something wrong, Scor?"_

"_N-no." He stuttered back. In confusion._

"_Good, because I know how we'll get your mind of things." She murmured before grabbing his face and kissing him passionately._

_He pulled back from her painfully._

"_What? That's what this is?"_

"_Yeah," she said deviously, arching her eyebrow._

_He couldn't resist. He couldn't lose this moment._

_She was there, she was offering, it was what he wanted._

_He looked at her frowning._

"_Awh Scorp, don't be so silly," she caressed his cheek, "sex always makes me feel better. And you don't have to worry about calling the girl after, or whatever. Cause its me. We can pretend it never happened."_

_He choked._

"_I can't do this with you Rose." He let her go and stepped back breathing heavily._

_He shook his head. _

"_Two years ago you said it was too awkward after we kissed, and we couldn't be more than friends, yet you're ready to do this?"_

_She laughed and his mouth twitched._

_What could possibly be funny?_

"_But you were never serious about this 'more than friends' rubbish, were you Scor? We were young and confused." _

_She paused, eyes glinting as he watched in silence._

"_But this," she moved closer to him once again, "there's nothing confusing about this."_

_She approached him and he ducked past her._

"_You've always had great timing, Rose. After my dad's funeral, really?"_

_She pouted like a puppy-dog._

"_I just don't want to do this with you, okay?"_

"_Okay." She mumbled sounding disheartened._

_He wanted to laugh at her, how could she be upset?_

And after that, they were friends once again.

Though he steadily felt more and more pain, each time he saw her.

Which was often.

_That morning, three days ago, he had woken up to the sound of smashing._

_He rushed to the kitchen, unsure of what his flatmate had got up to._

_He stumbled in surprise as he saw his friend. His flatmate, his, __friend__, tangled up with Rose, his best friend, on their bench._

_The remnants of his favourite mug on the ground smashed into pieces._

_There was a noise like a plunger, and Greg looked up at him._

"_Sorry mate, I know you liked that mug. Bit too girly for my liking." He said, angling his head at the ground._

_He couldn't help it if the rose patterned mug was his favourite, could he?_

_Rose turned away from Greg and smiled at him._

"_We can catch up later, yeah?" She asked him._

_He nodded leaving the room._

And then it was a full circle.

Back to where he was today.

Always the one who thought there was still a possibility.

Why couldn't he let go of this hope?

He knew what he had to do as he got up out of bed.

Who cares if he was always the one trying, running after her?

He knew why of course, he was too trusting.

Trusting that he had a place in her heart.

Perhaps she had cried?

Not likely.

He shook himself. And began searching for a pair of pants.

Too trusting.

But, since when had that been a bad thing?

* * *

**Okay, so that's the second chapter. I hope it explained things/you liked it!**

**Its so weird, that's the first time I've ever mentioned sex before! It feels strange, but maybe I'm just immature? Haha. Who knows?**

**Anyway, there is another chapter coming, and happy times? Yes. **

**Okay? So don't give up on me!**

**X Potty.**

**Please please review!**


	3. Too Confusing

**So here it is! The happy ending I promised.! And its late – but I've been busy! (: **

**The last Chapter – (about Scorpius) is actually based on stuff that happened to me :( but not as dramatic obviously!**

**I also wanted to say – that I wrote like four different endings to this – and this was not how I originally planned the ending – but meh. I hope you like it – and by like it I mean Revieeew! IT WILL BE HAPPY!**

**Thanks tooo:**

**yellowsea25**** – that review REALLY meant a lot – thank-you :D**

**iceiceice – You are just amazing. Thank-you for all of you're reviews and you're encouragement! I had to update for you're sake (especially love hate relationship) (:**

**muSicLuHvER**** – Thank-you! I was very emotional at the time!:)**

**xxx-angelin-xxx**** – Thanks for reviewing this and my other stories! Heres the happy ending! :) **

**Pleeease Review! Xx**

_She looked at her watch._

"_Think I can make it to the bathroom before class?" She asked Scorpius, adjusting her bag on her shoulder._

"_Oh, I don't know Rosie – the amount of time you spend in the bathro-"_

"_Oh ha-ha!" She said, rolling her eyes and heading down the hallway straight into the girls bathroom._

_There was no-one in there as she made her way into the cubicle. But then she heard the slamming of a door and what sounded like a sob._

_Quickly she opened the door._

_Rushing to wash her hands she saw someone cowering in the corner._

_They were shaking violently, in an over-emotional state. But there was something familiar about the extremely high ponytail – the blue hairband she always wore - _

"_Roxy?" She asked cautiously approaching the older girl._

_Roxanne looked up. Her big brown eyes were puffy and bloodshot._

_She had never seen anything like it. No-one in her family cried, well not in front of her anyway – except perhaps her Mum. But then she wasn't technically a Weasley._

"_Roxy, what's wrong? Are – are you alright?" She asked unsure. But she couldn't help but stare at her cousin. She looked so lost – so helpless._

_Roxanne looked at her, weak and vulnerable._

_Roxanne sniffed as Rose approached her, slowly sliding down the wall to be closer to her. Tears were pouring down her face._

"_Roxy? I-I, what's happened? You can tell me you know."_

_Roxanne let out a watery chuckle, "I know that, it's just," Roxanne's tears subsided momentarily as she surveyed Rose, her younger cousin smiled at her weakly "Rose . . . promise me something, okay?" _

_She nodded, "If it will make you feel better." She concluded with a smile._

_Roxanne wiped her cheek and spoke surprisingly steadily. "Good. It will."_

_She cocked her head to the side. "So what's this promise then Roxy?_

_She watched her cousin open her mouth to talk – but she appeared to choke as more tears came flowing._

_She patted her arm comfortingly as Roxanne began to talk._

"_Just…just don't ever – well don't… you c-can't ever fall for Scorpius."_

_She was shocked, and had the desire to laugh at the ridiculousness of the proposal. But she saw the look in Roxanne's eyes._

_So she grabbed her hand and nodded._

"_Never."_

_Anything in that moment to make Roxanne okay._

"_A proper promise Rose. I need to know you won't make the same mistakes I have."_

"_Wh-why? What have you done?"_

_Roxanne swallowed and shook her head._

"_You wouldn't understand. Will you make an unbreakable vow?"_

"_I - what?" Rose replied, shocked._

_Tears were trailing down her cousin's cheek made clear by the streaks of mascara. Her tie was askew – and her hair was falling out at the front. She was hunched against the wall of the girl's bathroom gripping onto her thirteen year old cousin._

"_I don't actually know how for sure.. But we can make a binding promise."_

_Her eyebrows shot up slightly._

"_You will do this for me, right Rose? You don't have feelings for him anyway, like that. Do you?"_

"_I- no." She said, looking down at her hands._

"_Then you can make this promise, for me."_

_Roxanne looked at her so earnestly. She could see the heartbreak on her face._

"_Wh-what happens if you break it?" She mumbled, as Roxanne's fingers twitched slightly from her grip._

"_You'll be unable to be around the people that were involved in the promise. Ever."_

_Her eyes widened slightly – and she gulped._

"_So, what exactly am I promising?"_

"_To never fall for Scorpius. No matter how much you think he likes you, or you like him – never return the affection."_

_She gulped once again, as her eyes searched Roxanne's._

"_What happened to you Roxy? To make you so against-"_

"_Rosie. Just do it."_

"_H-how do I-"_

"_Give me your hand."_

_Roxanne linked their pinkie fingers together and closed her eyes._

_She copied her._

"_Wait." Said Roxanne, still looking slightly crushed._

"_What?" Asked Rose, her eyes searching Roxanne's._

"_You do fully intend to keep this promise, right?"_

_Rose nodded. "Of course."_

"_Okay then, repeat this Rose: I Rose Weasley,"_

"_I Rose Weasley,"_

_Her eyes widened slightly as a light shone from their fingers – where they were intertwined._

"_Do promise Roxanne Weasley,"_

"_Do promise Roxanne Weasley,"_

"_That no matter what Scorpius says,"_

"_That no matter what Scorpius says,"_

_What looked like golden dust or glitter encircled their fingers as soon as the words left Rose's mouth. _

"_No matter what I think,"_

"_No matter what I think,"_

"_I will not feel anything more than friendship for Scorpius,"_

_She hesitated slightly – but she felt such a pull towards the words that they came tumbling out._

"_I will not feel anything more than friendship for Scorpius,"_

"_I will not say yes to being in a relationship with him,"_

"_I will not say yes to being in a relationship with him,"_

"_Or ever tell him I love him,"_

"_Or ever tell him I love him,"_

_She swallowed thickly – and tried to avert her cousins gaze, but found that she couldn't._

"_I will not cry because of anything he, or anyone else says to me,"_

"_I will not cry because of anything he, or anyone else says to me,"_

"_While we remain friends,"_

"_While we remain friends,"_

_She sighed in relief – as the dust seemed to settle slightly._

"_And I will forget that I ever made this promise,"_

_Rose's jaw dropped open. How could she?_

_She suddenly had an imminent feeling about what she was saying, she wouldn't say it, and she wouldn't let it out._

_But she had intended to keep the promise and the words were on the tip of her tongue, and her fingers seemed to be welded to Roxanne's. She tried to stop the words from coming out – looking at Roxanne painfully._

_But her face seemed to be finally at calm, as the words escaped Rose's mouth._

"_And I will forget that I ever made this promise."_

"WHAT!"

She sat up in bed panting heavily.

She felt different.

The tears from earlier on made sense, she _loved_ him.. She knew it.

She could finally admit it to herself.

But how hadn't she known before?

No. This can't be right. That couldn't have happened – no. But it had. The memory had come flashing back to her like it happened yesterday.

Her thoughts were a mess as she clutched her forehead still steadying her breathing.

She flung the covers off.

In a split moments decision she grabbed a coat and slipped on her comfy shoes, her wand already in her hand, apparating on the spot.

She opened her eyes once again to see she was at the front door. She knocked twice, not caring that the sky was still dark. It was some time early in the morning she presumed.

No answer, she knew they'd be asleep, but relentlessly she knocked again.

She turned around briefly and looked about the neighbourhood, head snapping back when she heard the door creak open.

"Rose?" came a hoarse male whisper. "What in the blazes are you doing here at this time in the morning-"

"Roxy." she said grimly pushing past him and inviting herself in. "I need to talk to her. She'll know what it's about."

She stood arms crossed in the entranceway.

"Look Rose, you seem _upset_ but its three thirty in the morni-"

"Josh." She said testily. "Trust me, get me Roxy, or I'll stun you."

He frowned at her before sighing and toddling off obediently, returning moments later with a frowning Roxanne.

"Hey Rose, what's happened?" she aked, surprisingly cheery for the time of day.

She laughed coldly, as Josh made his exit. She encroached on Roxanne's space slightly.

"Hmmm, doesn't that sound familiar, Roxy?"

The smile slipped off Roxanne's face slowly and crease appeared in her forehead.

Something about Rose's eyes made her click.

"Y-you remember what happened?" She asked wide eyed.

She nodded maniacally.

"What in the hell possessed you to make me make such ridiculous promises! Do you even understand the consequences of that day?" She spat at her cousin.

"Now listen Rose. That's not fair – you see I'd had a really bad day."

"You'd had a bad day? Try waking up and remembering something like, oh I don't know – I made a _promise_ that I'd never acknowledge how I truly felt about Scorpius – or tell him, making me unwillingly breaking his heart for years – oh yeah, and I can't cry so he probally thinks I'm a heartless bitch! Then, just for fun, I wouldn't have remembered the 'promise' if I hadn't broken it – and what does that mean again? Oh yeah, I'll never see him again. AGAIN!"

Roxanne stuttered slightly, refraining from making eye-contact with Rose, who was pacing angrily.

"I would've never done that had I realised Rose-"

She looked at her – narrowing her eyes, as if challenging Roxanne to continue her sentence.

"What even happened to you that made you do this Roxy?" Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"I-I," she cleared her throat. "Me and my best friend, George. Well, we decided we should be a couple, and well – he, he wanted one thing, and I said I'd never done that before…And, well, it wasn't like I was unwilling, but I really didn't want to do that with him, but I-I let him. And - and I'm sorry, so sorry – I wish I could go back and change what I made you do, I really do. Please, please forgive me."

There were now glistening on Roxanne's cheeks as well.

Suddenly she was crying on Roxanne, hugging her tightly. A slightly shaken Roxanne sat her down and got her a cup of tea.

"Its – okay, are you alright?"

Roxanne nodded. "I've had years to get over it now. I'm just sorry that it ever led me to, well make you-" Her voice quivered slightly and Rose held on all the more tighter.

She wiped her face and smiled weakly at Roxanne.

"Now this scene is slightly familiar." Said Roxanne.

She frowned.

"Sorry – my bad sense of humor." Said Roxanne sipping her tea.

She put her tea down on the table and leant back into the couch.

"I don't know how I broke the promise," she began slowly, "because right from the beginning I fully intended to keep it. But I can cry now – I know that I definitely l-_love _Scorpius and I, well I remembered that I made the promise so . . . I broke it . . ."

Roxanne frowned at her. But she was right.

"Well, maybe the conditions of the promise were what was broken . . ." Said Roxanne moments later interrupting her thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, if you both broke it unintentionally . . ." She said trailing off watching Rose's expression. "I mean, I could be way off . . ."

"No! You're so – yes! Yeah, that'd – that'd be it." She stood up abruptly.

"Where are you going?"

"Bye Roxy." She said, turning on the spot, watching her cousin shake her head at her.

Destination, deliberation, determination, she apparated focusing on him.

Her eyes opened – and she felt the wind whip her hair back. Turning around she saw she was at a beach – a very pretty one, but she knew she wasn't alone.

She saw his lone figure standing on the shore and made her way towards him.

She didn't know how, but she had managed to find where he was.

But that wasn't important right now.

She was close now.

He turned around suddenly hearing a crunching noise in the sand.

"Rose?" He asked squinting at her in the darkness.

She nodded and moved closer to him so she could see him fully.

As he came into the light she felt winded suddenly.

The suppressed emotions of six years hit her like a ton of bricks and her throat felt thick again. Suddenly she realised that she was far more than physically attracted to this man.

She had butterflies.

"Rose I need to say that I-"

"No!" she said suddenly rushing forwards and planting her mouth on his.

Her heart accelerated. This is what she had been waiting for.

She felt something deep inside – as if it were, right.

After his initial shock, he too melted into the kiss, that she was trying desperately to put all her emotion into. This wasn't just attraction anymore, her heart was feeling more.

She was no longer bound to deny these feelings.

Reluctantly she pulled away from him.

There was a lot of explaining.

"Scorpius, me and you, we can't be friends, ever."

He looked down to her eyes and she saw hurt. He was wounded and he nodded slowly. Backing away from her, like he always did when she hurt him.

It was so much clearer now.

But she reached out to grab him, the suffering in his eyes was creating tears in hers.

He seemed to notice them watering and looked confused.

"The thing is – I love you, and want to be with you forever."

His heart accelerated, but he was confused.

Why now? Was this a ploy to get him to stay around her for longer.

Confusion plagued his face.

"The moment you left – saying you couldn't be around me, and I threw away the bracelet – I realised I loved you."

He stood there, silent and unreadable for a moment.

"Well if that isn't messed up I don't know what is." He said after a pause, meeting her eyes momentarily.

She was definitely crying.

Strange.

She nodded. "I know it sounds crazy and stuff, but the thing is, Roxy made me promise-"

"Promise what?" He interjected.

"I'm getting there!" she replied testily, softening when she took in the true beauty of his face. "Promise that I'd never love you, cry about you or anything and that I'd forget I made that promise, while we remain friends."

His eyebrows shot up.

More confusion.

"What kind of a promise is that?"

She looked truly pained.

He felt robbed. Robbed of the truth. But he had known it, hadn't he?

Though she would convince him otherwise, he couldn't help but trust that there actually was love involved.

Had he been right?

"A binding one," she muttered looking down at her feet. She felt the tears welling up once again.

He was silent and in shock.

It would be too painful for him she knew it.

"She made you make a binding promise? When was this?"

"Third year apparently."

She was bitter, and wished it had never happened – but had forgiven her cousin.

"So you mean to say, that if I had ended this friendship years ago – you would've known how you really felt?"

"Well, yeah, I guess." She said, feeling more confident seeing the hint of smile he had.

"That's unfortunate."

Her eyes dropped to the ground again. She willed her thoughts to stay positive, and she shut her eyes momentarily.

Just because you can cry now doesn't mean you have to every five minutes she thought to herself.

She almost jumped when she felt his hand lift her chin up. Her skin tingled where he touched her. It was on fire – her heart was beating again.

All because of that small, yet personal touch.

She met his eyes once again, tears still building up.

"This is so messed up." He said slowly, wiping a tear that fell onto her cheek.

She nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I always thought that I was just physically attracted to you for ages – that explains the, well you know-" she started to ramble but he cut her off by puting his finger on her lips.

Her heart was so fast and loud now she was convinced that he would be able to hear it.

"Shh, none of this is you're fault." He soothed.

She felt like crying into his shoulder. How could he be so gracious? So forgiving. She had hurt him far more than she ever should have.

"Yes it is! I shouldn't have agreed to it."

"You were thirteen Rosie!"

Her heart fluttered at the use of that name.

"What I mean is, its messed up because we should have had years of happy memories together. You and me, we should have been Hogwarts golden couple – the best friends that fell in love in School, and never broke up."

He stroked her cheek affectionately.

"We should have our own place, somewhere nice. With a pretty rose garden, and a big bedroom where we, well were we sleep together."

Her eyes swam again with tears and she looked down at their feet.

"I was just the big fool who loved you since I met you – back when we were eleven, and became you're friend with the sole intention of marrying you. And I would be about to ask you – to be mine forever, even though I knew you were…because we'd been together for so long."

She fell into his arms crying harder than she had earlier that morning with Roxanne.

"I u-unders-stand." She said through sobs. "I'll j-just be a m-moment." She said pulling away slightly.

"What?" he asked pulling her back in to hug him.

"You aren't going anywhere." He whispered to her ear, sending chills down her spine.

She was at home, as if she had never left/

"But you just said we should have had all this stuff."

"Should have, yes." He said slowly and soothingly as she began to calm down.

"But that's too confusing to think about." He slowly pried her hands off himself, and stepped away slightly, still holding one of her hands; he knelt down on one knee.

"In order that we will never be friends again, I have something to ask you."

Her eyes widened, as his grip on her hand tightened.

"Rose Weasley, will you marry me, Scorpius Malfoy, the loser you befriended back in the day, who has loved you for years, despite all the crap we've been through?"

The tears had stopped.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, his eyes glinting as sunlight flooded his face.

"We can never be just friends again. I don't think I could be you're boy_friend_."

She smiled.

"Of course I wi-"

She was interrupted by his lips crashing onto hers once again – as he lifted her up and spun her around slightly with such enthusiasm.

"So," he said as their foreheads were pressed together.

She noted the light had fully returned to his eyes.

Her heart felt lighter.

He had known why it was so easy to forgive her, as it had always been.

Because he had been right in hoping, in trusting.

That mask she had put up hadn't been her, he had known it.

"So what?" she asked playfully, unable to shake the permanent happy feeling settling in her stomach.

"So how about taking you up on that offer at my Dad's funeral?"

"Y-you-" Her jaw dropping slightly at his insinuation. "You mean?"

He wiggled his eyebrows in response.

"Naughty!" She said, giving him a playful hit.

"What?" He asked. "I'm you're fiancé, I can be honest with you about what I want, what I feel!"

She giggled. "Honesty," she paused thinking about it, "yeah I like that."

"Okay, well since we're being honest."

"What is it?"

"For someone who never cries you're awfully emotional!"

She smiled, wiping the last of the tears that remained on her cheeks.

She no longer minded that the bracelet was gone forever. That had symbolised their friendship.

And now it was gone.

It was something new.

She liked it far more than the old, she thought accepting his outstretched hand.

They had many happy memories ahead of them, she knew it.

And no promise could change that.


End file.
